Fargo (trfnews.i234.me) — A 30-year-old Fargo man faces three felony counts after
investigators found a missing juvenile who said she stayed with him for several days.
Court records say Spencer Ray Dietrich was charged on December 4.
He faces three counts of corruption of a minor involving a victim older than 15.
Each charge is listed as a Class C felony.
Police located the runaway teen at Dempsey’s bar on Broadway North early on December 3.
Bar staff recognized her from a missing person alert issued by Moorhead, Minnesota, police.
When Moorhead officers arrived, the juvenile confirmed her identity.
She agreed to be taken back home, according to the police report.
During the trip, the juvenile told officers she had stayed with Dietrich while she was missing from home.
She said she first told him she was 22 years old.
She later said he knew she was a juvenile runaway.
According to the complaint, the teen reported sexual contact with Dietrich
on several different days.
She told officers this contact happened over about five days.
The dates listed in the charges are November 22, November 23, and November 27.
Police brought the juvenile to Sanford Health for a medical exam.
Staff completed a sexual assault DNA collection kit.
Officers also collected her clothing and a journal she kept while she was away from home.
The journal described sexual encounters with Dietrich on specific dates, according to investigators.
Those entries match the dates listed in the felony counts.
Dietrich is being held at the Cass County Jail.
An arraignment hearing is set for December 5 at 8 a.m., court records say.
He also has another open Cass County case.
In that separate case, he faces a felony criminal trespass count.
Misdemeanor charges in that file include indecent exposure, peeping, disorderly conduct, and refusal to halt.
Dietrich is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty in court.
Case details, hearing dates, and outcomes can be viewed through the North Dakota Courts public access system.
Families dealing with missing or exploited children can find help and tips through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Local crisis groups and counselors can also provide support.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News
.
